SUMMARY
The elder is overjoyed to hear that Gaius remains faithful to the truth.
ANALYSIS
The elder begins the body of the letter with a prayer for the good health of his addressee (3 John 1:2), typical of a personal letter of the period, As in 2 John, when the elder expressed his joy to find the “children” of the “elect lady” walking in the truth (2 John 1:4), here the elder expresses his joy to hear that Gaius is walking in the truth (3 John 1:3). The elder considers Gaius as one of his children, saying that he has “no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4).
“Walking in the truth” is similar in meaning to “walking in the light” in 1 John. It means to walk according to God’s commandments, the chief of which is the commandment to love one another.